A weaker position group may not look so weak in the end.
When looking at the New Orleans Saints’ roster, one position group may have the most changes from last season: The cornerbacks. After making a great trade and not making re-signings, the Saints’ CB room took a massive hit. Entering training camp, the CBs were the main position that I felt very uneasy about. Besides QB, which is the obvious one, the current CB room may be the group that makes or breaks the season. A great pass rush can hide some issues in pass defense but relying on this is never a good idea.
There are always going to be games where the pass defense needs to step up, and before training camp, I was not sure this group could do it. Second-year CB Kool-Aid McKinstry flashed potential in his first season, but relying on his jump is a risky move. The only CB that I felt mildly comfortable with was Alontae Taylor, who will be switching from the slot to the outside throughout games. Even with that confidence, there are still worries about Taylor’s consistency and if he can get back to that dominance we saw early in his career. The questions surrounding these two players, combined with a positional battle for the other outside cornerback spot, could create a rough scenario for the Saints. Well, that was what I initially thought, but things have changed.
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It seems like the Saints made the right call by believing Kool-Aid McKinstry would take that next step. The former second-round pick has been flying in practice, making plays in the air, getting interceptions, playing hard, and making life hard for these young quarterbacks. New Orleans has a great group of wide receivers currently, and the fact that McKinstry has been able to shine against these players says something. Before he is established as the future number one cornerback on the roster, McKinstry is going to need to prove it in a game, but as of now, it looks like he can handle it.
As I mentioned before, out of all the cornerback issues I thought the Saints could have, Alontae Taylor was one I felt more comfortable about. We have seen what he can do on the field, and it may come down to his belief in and motivation for the defensive coordinator’s scheme. If Brandon Staley can convince Taylor that his scheme puts the young cornerback in a position to succeed and the staff has created a good environment for these corners, there is a chance Taylor could be the most valuable piece of this defense. In his first four years, Taylor has shown the ability to play both on the outside and in the slot at high levels, and in Staley’s scheme, one of the corners needs to have this flexibility. In addition, Taylor has been a vocal voice throughout practice, and it seems the 26-year-old has taken the leadership role in the cornerback room.
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Now, onto possibly the main reason why I had worries to begin with, the third cornerback spot. Even though both McKinstry and Taylor stepped up and played well during the season, the main issue was always going to be the outside cornerback opposite of McKinstry. The Saints signed Isaac Yiadom in free agency to a three-year deal, which was a great deal, but having him as a second boundary corner is not something to be that confident about. Additionally, initiating the veteran corner (depending on total snaps) would actually remove the compensatory pick that the Saints would receive for allowing Paulson Adebo to leave in free agency. This may not be a priority of the coaching staff, and really it shouldn’t, but it is something to think about.
The second addition made this offseason that could step up in that CB3 role is rookie Quincy Riley. When the former Louisville Cardinal dropped to the 131st selection, many were shocked and believed the Saints got a steal. In my own mock drafts, I thought New Orleans should have actually traded up to around pick 100 for Riley. Still, even with this great value and potentially one of the best picks in the Saints’ draft, starting the rookie right away is extremely risky. Cornerback is one of those positions where it is rare that a rookie can start right away and not get exposed. Yes, we have seen it happen with the likes of Marshon Lattimore on the Saints, but especially with a 4th-round pick, this is nowhere near the expectation. While keeping these expectations low, there is a reality where Riley is going to start right away, and throughout training camp so far, he has actually looked really good. Already, he has two interceptions and a third that was just out of bounds. Riley brings an evident ball-hawking skill, which could be a similar archetype to the Saints’ with Adebo: a player who may get beaten at times but can be dynamic in the air and make big plays for this defense. We haven’t seen what Riley can do in the game, but based on training camp, there’s some confidence that Quincy Riley can step up into the third cornerback spot.